Improvement in car-couplings



1. vfREEn.

Car-Couplings.

N0.142,943. Patentedseptembeme,1873.

.ttorneya UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH V. REED, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,943, dated September 16, 1873; application ilcd l May 7, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH V. REED, of New Albany, in the county of Floyd and in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Coupling; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon, making a part ot' this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a weighted tongue pivoted or hinged to the bottom of a draw-head, said tongue being provided with a recess and shoulder on its under side, for the reception of and to hold the link in a horizontal position, and also provided with an inclined oriceto hold the pin, as hereinafter set forth.

In order to enable .others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, which is a longitudinal vertical section of a car-bumper with my improvement attached thereto.

A represents a railroad-car bumper; B, the coupling-pin; and C, the coupling-link, constructed in the usual manner. D represents a tongue, which is hinged or otherwise ijeXibly attached at its rear or inner end to the bottom of the bumper, and extends forward into the mouth of the same. The front end ofthe tongue D is beveled on its under side, as shown, and provided with a hole, a, for

the passage ofthe coupling-pin B. The front end of this tongue is made thicker than its v the link, will hold it in a horizontal position to be coupled to the adjoining car, without the necessity of guiding it by hand. The hole c is made inclined, so that when the tongue D rests on the bottom of the bumper the pin B, after passing through the top of the bumper, cannot pass through the hole in the tongue, but will be held in the upper part of the same somewhat in the position shown in the drawing. When the coupling-link C is inserted it passes in under the beveled end ofthe tongue D, raising the same up. This brings the hole a. in a vertical position, so that the pin B will drop down and enter the link C, coupling the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The tongue D, provided with an under recess, and weighted at its forward end, and pivoted or hinged to the bottom ot' the bumper A, all constructedv to be used substantially as land for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of April, 1873. i

JOSEPH V. REED. -Witnesses:

HENRY M. ROWLEY, It. M. BOARDMAN. 

